Methods and systems for exchanging and/or transferring various forms of value
Methods and systems for exchanging various forms of value, including coins, currency, credit, debit, and/or bank account funds, for prepaid cash cards, credit cards, phone cards, and the like. In one embodiment, a value exchange machine includes a coin input region, a coin sorting/counting apparatus, a card reader, and a communications facility configured to communicate with a remote computer network. In another embodiment, a value exchange system includes one or more of the value exchange machines connected to one or more remote computers via a communications link. A user wishing to purchase, for example, a prepaid cash card can visit one of the value exchange machines, select the desired transaction, and pay for the card with coins, currency, a credit card, a debit card, and/or bank account funds. After confirming payment, the value exchange machine dispenses the card to the user.
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This application claims priority to the following U.S. Provisional Patent Applications: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/357,331, filed Feb. 15, 2002; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/357,555, filed Feb. 15, 2002; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/419,735, filed Oct. 18, 2002; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/424,377, filed Nov. 6, 2002. This application incorporates all of the U.S. Provisional Patent Applications listed above in their entireties by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis application relates generally to methods and systems for exchanging one form of value for another form of value and, more particularly, to methods and systems for transferring value to an account, or for providing or reloading prepaid cash cards, credit cards, phone cards, event tickets, and the like.
BACKGROUNDVarious vending machines are configured to dispense selected products to users in exchange for exact amounts of money. Such machines include, for example, food dispensing machines, stamp dispensing machines, ticket dispensing machines, and the like. Other machines are configured to count arbitrary numbers and denominations of coins received from users. One such coin-counting machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,079 to Molbak (“the '079 patent to Molbak”), which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In one embodiment, the Molbak coin-counting machine can dispense a redeemable voucher to a user for an amount related to the value of coins received from the user. This redeemable voucher can be redeemed for cash or merchandise at, for example, a point-of-sale (POS) location in the retail outlet where the machine is located.
Machines also exist for dispensing prepaid telephone cards to users. Such machines typically dispense a selected phone card to a user after the user has deposited a requisite amount of money in the machine. In addition, prepaid long-distance accounts and wireless cell phone accounts also exist whereby a service carrier maintains an account of available minutes for each individual user. Such accounts are often rechargeable and are associated with individual personal identification numbers (PINs). To start an account, a user may initially purchase a phone card containing, for example, sixty minutes of long-distance telephone usage. The number of available minutes are depleted as the user makes phone calls via the account. Some accounts allow the user to add minutes to his/her account by paying for additional time with, for example, a credit card. In this way, the user is able to add minutes to his/her account as the need arises, or to fit their particular budget.
Other methods exist by which customers can purchase prepaid credit cards. In one such method, a customer gives a cashier at a POS sufficient funds to cover the value of a prepaid credit card and any additional service fees charged by the retail outlet. In return for the funds, the cashier provides the customer with a receipt that includes a unique identification number and the telephone number of a credit card issuer. The customer then calls the telephone number and provides the credit card issuer with the identification number from the receipt and certain other personal information. Such personal information can include the customer's mailing address and/or the customer's social security number. The credit card issuer then provides a credit card account number to the customer over the telephone. The customer can begin using this number for credit card purchases immediately by telephone, mail, or the Internet. The credit card issuer also mails an embossed credit card to the customer that the customer can begin using as soon as it arrives.
This application incorporates the following U.S. Patents in their entireties by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,299; U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,808; U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,348; U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,371; U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,402; U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,972; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,793.
This application further incorporates the following co-pending U.S. Patent Applications in their entireties by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/661,956, filed Sep. 14, 2000; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/662,414, filed Sep. 14, 2000; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/661,955, filed Sep. 14, 2000; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/661,048, filed Sep. 14, 2000; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/020,587, filed Oct. 30, 2001.
The following disclosure describes methods and systems for converting one form of value into another form of value. “Value,” as used herein, means anything of monetary worth, such as money, credit, time (e.g., long-distance or cell phone minutes), event and travel tickets, merchandise, and the like. Further, as used throughout this disclosure, the term “card” shall be understood to include both prepaid and non-prepaid cards, unless the particular context requires otherwise. The term “prepaid card” can refer to any instrument useable in commerce in place of money, or any instrument that entitles the bearer to acquire, utilize, or exhaust any commercially available product or service. Examples of prepaid cards in this context include prepaid credit cards, prepaid cash cards, stored-value cards, in-store credit cards, gift cards, prepaid phone cards, payroll cards, and the like. Throughout this disclosure, for ease of reference the term “prepaid cash card” will be understood to include at least prepaid cash card, prepaid credit card, and stored-value card. Examples of “non-prepaid” cards can include conventional credit cards and the like. Such prepaid and non-prepaid cards typically include at least one of a readable magnetic stripe, bar code, computer/memory chip, smart card chip, and the like.
In one embodiment, the system described herein can receive a random plurality of coins from a user, count the coins, and, if the user desires, dispense a prepaid card to the user having a value related to the total value of the coins received. This prepaid card may then be used by the user, or another person authorized by the user, to pay for goods and/or services at a variety of different retail locations. In another embodiment, the system disclosed herein can dispense a prepaid card to a user in return for loose coins, paper currency, and/or a valid credit card account number that is provided by the user. In a further embodiment, a user may apply value from an existing prepaid card to purchase another prepaid card. In yet another embodiment, the system disclosed herein can dispense a prepaid card to a user in return for funds debited from a financial institution account (e.g., a savings, checking account, or brokerage account) that is provided by the user. In yet another embodiment, a user may utilize any of the foregoing methods of payment to “top up” (i.e., to “reload,” “recharge,” or otherwise increase the value of) an existing prepaid card. Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, a user can purchase or top up a prepaid card with 1) cash (loose coins and/or currency); 2) credit (e.g., credit cards, check cards, etc.); 3) debit (e.g., debit cards, ATM cards, etc.); 4) existing prepaid cards; 5) bank account funds; or 6) any combination of the above.
The present disclosure, however, is not limited to methods and systems for dispensing prepaid cash cards and phone cards to users. To the contrary, embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed herein can also include dispensing tickets (such as event and travel tickets), novelty items, and redeemable vouchers to users in return for the various forms of payment discussed above. In addition, embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed can also include providing account information to users, such as balance information regarding a particular credit card account, phone card account, on-line account, and the like.
Further, the methods and systems described herein can also be used to transfer funds to an account of a user, to an account of another person, from an account of the user, and/or from an account of another person. Such transactions may include, for example, transferring value to or from a bank account, a brokerage account, a credit card account, long distance phone card account, an on-line payment account, a virtual account, and/or a virtual “e-wallet.” As used herein, the term “account” shall be taken to mean at least the foregoing types of accounts, unless the particular context contradicts such an interpretation. In such transactions, the user may receive a receipt documenting the transaction instead of a card. In one such transaction, the user can utilize any of the methods of payment described above to transfer money from one account to another account (e.g., for a person-to-person payment or for bill payment). Similarly, the user may also elect to transfer the proceeds from any such payment to a bank account for direct deposit, to a cell phone account to obtain additional minutes, or to an on-line account (e.g., an “e-wallet”) for on-line purchases.
Certain embodiments of the methods and systems described herein for exchanging one form of value for another form of value are described in the context of computer-executable instructions performed by a general-purpose computer. For example, in one embodiment these computer-executable instructions are stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk or CD-ROM. In other embodiments, instructions are stored on a server computer system and accessed via a communications link or a computer network, such as an intranet, the Internet, or another computer network. Because the basic structures and functions related to computer-readable routines and corresponding implementations are known, they have not been shown or described in detail here in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments.
Certain specific details are set forth in the following description and in
In the figures that follow, identical reference numbers identify identical or at least generally similar elements. To facilitate the discussion of any particular element, the most significant digit or digits in any reference number refers to the figure in which that element is first introduced. For example, element 120 is first introduced and discussed with reference to
In addition to the foregoing user-interface devices, the drawer assembly 120 can also include a number of output devices. For example, the drawer assembly 120 can include a card outlet 208, a ticket outlet 210, and a receipt outlet 212. In the illustrated embodiment, the card outlet 208 is a horizontal slot for dispensing cards, such as prepaid cash or phone cards, and other similar items. The ticket outlet 210 of the illustrated embodiment can be a similar horizontal slot for dispensing travel or event tickets, such as airline tickets or tickets for a basketball game or a concert. As described in greater detail below, in one embodiment these tickets may have been reserved, ordered, or prepurchased on-line by a user over the Internet.
While the aspects and features of the drawer assembly 120 discussed above are representative of those that may be included as components of the value exchange machine 100 of
Use of the value exchange machine 100 to exchange one form of value for another form of value will now be explained in accordance with a few examples. Referring to
In another embodiment, a user may desire to purchase a prepaid cash card with an existing credit card. In this embodiment, the user swipes the existing credit card through the card reader 202 (
In yet another embodiment, a user can purchase a prepaid credit card with the machine 100 as follows. First, the user uses the touch screen 117, the first keypad 114, and/or the user-selection buttons 115 to select the prepaid credit card purchase option. In one aspect of this embodiment, the customer then deposits payment by inserting paper currency into the bill acceptor 204, depositing coins into the coin tray 106 and rotating the tray upwardly to deliver the coins, and/or by swiping a debit or credit card through the card reader 202. In other embodiments, the customer can deposit payment in other ways. For example, in other embodiments, the machine 100 may have a coin input feature that differs from the rotatable coin tray 106 without departing from the present disclosure. After confirming receipt of the funds, the machine 100 dispenses a receipt or other media (card facsimile, etc.) to the customer from the receipt outlet 212.
In one aspect of this embodiment, the receipt includes instructions directing the user to call a particular telephone number and activate their new prepaid credit card account. Per the instructions, the user calls the telephone number and activates his/her account by providing certain personal information, such as name and mailing address. The user then receives a unique number (such as a 16-digit number for their new prepaid credit card account) from the credit card account issuer over the telephone. The user can use this number immediately for credit-based purchases either by telephone, mail, or the Internet. Further, within a few days, the user receives a personalized, embossed prepaid credit card via the mail that can be used anywhere the particular prepaid credit card is accepted. In addition, the user can also have the option of attaching a PIN to their new prepaid credit card account that will allow them to make cash withdrawals at ATMs.
In a slightly different embodiment, a user can purchase a prepaid credit card with the machine 100 as follows. First, the user uses the touch screen 117, the keypad 114, and/or the user-selection buttons 115 to select the purchase of a prepaid credit card. The user then deposits payment by, for example, inserting paper currency into the bill acceptor 204, depositing coins into the coin tray 106, and/or by swiping a debit or credit card through the card reader 202. After confirming receipt of payment, the machine 100 dispenses the prepaid credit card to the user from the card outlet 208. In this embodiment, the card can be used immediately anywhere the particular prepaid credit card is accepted.
In a further embodiment, a user can use the machine 100 to “reload” or add funds to a card (e.g., a cash, credit, or stored-value card). In this embodiment, the user utilizes the touch screen 117, the first keypad 114, and/or the user-selection buttons 115 to select the “reload” or “recharge” transaction, then swipes the card they would like to reload through the card reader 202. The user then deposits payment for the reload amount using coin, currency, and/or credit as described above. After confirming the receipt of funds, the machine 100 dispenses a receipt to the user via the receipt outlet 212. The funds received from the user are then credited to the desired card (or associated account), and are available for use immediately or within a relatively short time. In this embodiment and the previous embodiment, the user is not required to place a telephone call to a third-party service, such as a prepaid credit card account issuer, to activate the account.
As mentioned above, a prepaid cash card is only one form of “value” that can be output by the machine 100 in return for various forms of monetary exchange provided by a user. For example, in other embodiments the machine 100 can output tickets from the ticket outlet 210 or prepaid phone cards from the card outlet 208 after receiving sufficient funds via one or more of the card reader 202, the bill acceptor 204, or the coin input tray 106.
In yet another embodiment, a user may elect to use any of the fund input methods discussed above to electronically transfer money. In such transactions, the user may not receive a card having a value. Instead, the user may receive a receipt or other record documenting the transaction. For example, in one such transaction the user can utilize any of the methods of payment described above to transfer money to his or her account (e.g., a savings, checking, or credit card account) or to an account of another person (e.g., for a person-to-person payment or for a bill payment). Similarly, the user can also elect to transfer the proceeds from any such payment to a bank account for direct deposit, to a cell phone account (e.g., for long-distance telephone minutes), or to an on-line account (e.g., an “e-wallet”) for on-line purchases.
In a further embodiment, a user can top up a phone account (e.g., a long distance calling card account or a wireless account) with the machine 100. In one aspect of this embodiment, the display screen 118 can present or display a prompt or menu to the user asking if he or she would like to top up their phone card account. If so, the user selects his or her carrier and/or enters the corresponding account number or phone number. (In another embodiment, the user can swipe his/her card through the card reader 202 to have the account number read from the card.) For a PIN-based transaction, the user selects a predefined dollar amount to add to his/her account and then deposits money or other funds into the machine 100 in one of the ways described above. For example, in one embodiment, the user can deposit currency via the bill acceptor 204. In another embodiment, the user can deposit coins via the coin tray 106. After depositing the funds, the user receives a printout or receipt with a PIN via the receipt outlet 212. The user then calls the carrier and enters the PIN to activate the additional minutes added to his/her account. In another embodiment, the user has the option of selecting either a predefined dollar amount of minutes or entering a specific dollar amount he/she wishes to add to his/her account. In this embodiment, once the user has inserted his or her payment, the user receives a receipt confirming the transaction and the funds are immediately credited to the user's phone card account. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art, in other embodiments the machine 100 can be used in other ways to purchase or top up cards or associated accounts without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.
In block 302, the machine 100 accepts one or more types of funds from the user. As explained above, funds can include any combination of coins, currency, credit card, debit card, gift card, existing prepaid cash card or phone card, etc. If a credit card is used for payment, the machine 100 validates the credit card and obtains authorization to debit the funds from the credit card account or accounts. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by communication between the machine 100 and one or more remote computers via the communications facility 113. The remote computers can access one or more financial institutions that control the authorization and debiting/crediting of credit card accounts. In block 303, the machine 100 receives authorization for the desired transaction(s) from the remote computers and dispenses the new form of value (e.g., a prepaid cash card, phone card, redeemable cash voucher, cash, event tickets, and/or associated transaction confirmation numbers) to the user. If the transaction involved topping up an existing card, then the user receives confirmation that the value associated with the card has been increased. Similarly, if the transaction involved a transfer of money to an account, then the user receives confirmation that the transfer has occurred.
In yet other embodiments, a user can access account information with the machine 100. For example, in one aspect of this embodiment, the user can swipe a card and determine the amount of funds (or phone minutes in the case of phone cards) remaining on the card or in an associated account. In all the foregoing embodiments, the operator of the value exchange machine may elect to charge the user a fee for performing the desired transaction.
In a further aspect of this embodiment, the server computer 502 is connected to a financial institution computer 506. The financial institution computer 506 can be configured to facilitate the electronic transfer of funds between various financial accounts and/or institutions. For example, the financial institution computer 506, in one embodiment, can communicate with a credit card institution to facilitate the debiting and crediting of a credit card account. In other embodiments, the financial institution computer 506 can communicate with a bank, credit union, or brokerage firm to facilitate the debiting and crediting of various types of accounts typically found in such institutions. Similarly, in another embodiment, the financial institution computer 506 can communicate with a prepaid card-issuing institution to facilitate management of prepaid card accounts. In another aspect of this embodiment, the server computer 502 can be connected to one or more POS computers 510. The POS computers 510 can be located at retail outlets where users of the value exchange machine(s) 100 use their prepaid cash or credit cards to pay for goods and/or services.
In one embodiment, a user wishing to purchase, for example, a prepaid cash card, visits one of the value exchange machines 100 at, for example, a retail outlet, and selects the desired transaction. If the user wishes to purchase the prepaid card using an existing credit card, the user “swipes” the existing credit card through the card reader 202 (
In another aspect of this embodiment, a card value (e.g., dollar value or minutes) associated with a card number is stored in a database, and the database is updated to reflect the reduction in value that occurs each time the card is used to purchase goods and/or services. For example, when a user, or someone the user has authorized, presents the card at a POS to purchase goods and/or services, the POS computer 510 communicates with the server computer 502 to receive authorization for the transaction. The server computer 502 determines if the card number is active and if the card contains enough value to cover the desired purchase. If the transaction is authorized and concluded, then the server computer 502 updates the database with the present value of the card. Although the server computer 502 is illustrated as a single computer in
In another embodiment of the value exchange system 500, the value of a card (e.g., a “smart card”) may be recorded (i.e., written) directly on the card itself (e.g., with a computer memory/processor on the card) and decremented each time the card is used. In this embodiment, the value exchange machine 100 can both read and write to cards and, accordingly, access to one or both of the server computer 502 and the financial institution computer 506 may not be required. For example, in one embodiment, the user selects the desired type of card (e.g., a prepaid cash card), and inputs funds (e.g., by depositing coins and/or cash). In this embodiment, after counting the funds received from the user to arrive at a value, the machine 100 can write that particular value to a new card and dispense the card to the user. In another embodiment, the user may desire to add value to an existing “smart card,” “stored-value card,” or the like. In this embodiment, after inputting his/her funds, the user can submit the existing smart card to the machine 100 to have the additional value written directly to the card (i.e., to “recharge” or “reload” the card). In either embodiment, when the card is subsequently used in commerce, a card writer at the POS can decrement the card for the amount of the particular purchase.
The value exchange system 500 can include other functionalities in addition to those discussed above. For example, in one embodiment the value exchange system 500 allows a user to access an account web site 530 from a remote general-purpose user computer 520, such as a personal computer. In one aspect of this embodiment, the account web site 530 is hosted by the card server 502 and can be accessed over a second communications link 526. The second communications link 526 can be the Internet or another computer network. In another embodiment, the second communications link 526 and the first communications link 504 can be the same communications link. For example, in this embodiment, both the first and second communications links 504 and 526 can be the Internet. The account web site 530 can allow users to remotely conduct the following transactions: register new cash cards, obtain balance inquiries, add value to existing cards, review recent transaction history, and/or purchase new cards.
In addition to the foregoing, a user can also utilize the value exchange system 500 to pick up tickets and other items reserved or purchased on-line. In this embodiment, the user first accesses a ticket seller web site 540 to reserve or purchase tickets and receive a ticket reservation number. The user can then visit a conveniently located machine 100 and enter the reservation number and/or a PIN. The machine 100 then communicates with the ticket seller web site 540 via the first communications link 504 to obtain authorization to dispense the tickets. After obtaining the authorization, the machine 100 dispenses the tickets to the user.
While selected aspects of the value exchange system 500 have been described above for purposes of illustration, those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate that various other functionalities can be combined with this system in accordance with this disclosure to further enhance the utility of the system. For example, other types of informational- or transactional-based web sites can be accessed via the value exchange machine 500 to obtain yet other forms of data and/or accomplish other forms of transaction. For example, the machine 100 can access a novelty card web site 542 to obtain authorization to dispense novelty items or cards, such as baseball cards. Further, a phone card web site 541 can also be included in the system 500 to provide the infrastructure necessary for the user to purchase or recharge prepaid phone cards from the machine 100 as described above.
In block 616, the machine 100 communicates with a host computer, e.g., the server computer 502 of
In block 620, the machine 100 outputs the results of the transaction to the user. As explained above, the output can include a cash redeemable voucher, a prepaid credit card or cash card, a prepaid phone card, and/or an event or travel ticket. In block 622, the machine 100 prints a receipt and issues it to the user for his/her records. In the event the user is “topping up” an existing credit card or phone card, or transferring money to or from an account, the user will receive a receipt documenting the money transfer. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that any combination of the foregoing transactional outputs is possible in accordance with this disclosure.
In block 718, the user is prompted to select another transaction type if there is more than one transaction the user wishes to perform. If the user does wish to perform a second transaction, the routine returns to block 702 and the user is prompted to select a second type of transaction. If the user does not wish to perform a second transaction, then in block 720 the user indicates that he/she is done selecting transaction types. In block 722, the machine determines whether it needs to collect any funds from the user for the selected transaction(s). If the machine determines that the user needs to deposit funds for the transaction, then the routine 700 proceeds to routine 800 shown in
If the user elects to pay for the transaction with coins as in block 806a, then in block 806b the user is instructed to deposit the coins, for example, by placing them in the coin tray 106 of the machine 100 shown in
If the user elects to pay for the selected transaction with a debit card as in block 810a, then in block 810b the user is instructed to swipe the debit card through the card reader 202. The user is then instructed in block 810c to enter a debit card PIN to verify user authorization. After entering the PIN, in block 810d the user is prompted to enter the amount to debit the associated account for the selected transaction. After this information has been entered, in block 810e the machine 100 communicates with the server computer 502 to authorize use of the account for the amount of the debit. If instead the user elects to pay for the selected transaction by transferring money from an account as shown in block 812a, then in block 812b the user is prompted to enter the number of the account. In block 812c, the user may also be prompted to enter a PIN associated with the account.
In decision block 814, after the user has entered the first form of payment and any other necessary information, the user is prompted as to whether they wish to include an additional form of payment. If the user wishes to use an additional form of payment for the selected transaction, then the routine 800 returns to block 802. If the user is finished entering payment, then the routine proceeds to the routine 900 shown in
Once the transaction has been authorized, the machine 100 issues the desired output to the user according to one of the blocks 911. For example, if the user selected a prepaid cash card or phone card, the machine 100 dispenses the selected type of card to the user via the card outlet 208 shown in
Although three different card hoppers are shown in
In one embodiment, the head-carriage assembly 120 can position the card anywhere between the three hoppers 1081, 1082 or 1083 after being read. Ideally, the front panel card outlet 208 should be situated between two adjacent hoppers so direct alignment between any one hopper and the front panel exit slot can be avoided. This makes it difficult, if not impossible to fish a card out of a hopper through the exit slot.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that although specific embodiments of the value exchange system 500 (
In a further embodiment, a user can access a telephone carrier web site 541 from the user computer 520 (
In yet another embodiment, long distance minutes may be stored on a particular long distance calling card, much like a “stored value card.” In this embodiment, a user can access the telephone carrier web site 541 and pre-purchase additional minutes to put on the card. The user can pay for the additional minutes on line (with, e.g., a credit card account) and then receive a unique code or PIN once payment is confirmed. In one aspect of this embodiment, the user may then visit the machine 100 and enter his/her long distance account number (by, e.g., swiping his/her card) and/or the PIN. The carrier web site 541 can then communicate with the machine 100 and send the corresponding “top up” data to the machine 100. The machine 100 can then add the additional prepaid phone minutes to the user's phone card. In yet another embodiment, communication between the various web sites and the value exchange machines is facilitated by a “host” computer that first receives a communication from the web site and then sends the communication to the respective value exchange machine. These and other changes may be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description.
In still further embodiments, the methods and systems described herein can be used to obtain various types of information. Such information can include, for example, account balance information (e.g., for credit card accounts, checking and savings accounts, cell phone minutes, brokerage accounts, on-line accounts, and the like). Such information can also include salary or other employment information. For example, if a particular employer distributes employee pay in the form of prepaid cash cards, then the employees can utilize the machines 100 to obtain account balance information. Additionally, the employees could utilize the machine 100 in one or more ways as described above to transfer portions of their wages to other accounts for, e.g., bill payment or a person-to-person money transfer. In yet another embodiment, the employees could use the machine 100 to convert a portion of their cash card to a redeemable cash voucher that can be redeemed for cash or used to purchase goods and/or services at a POS.
The above detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps in a different order. The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the value exchange system described herein. These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the above description and the following claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list. All of the above U.S. patents and applications and other references described above are incorporated herein by reference.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above detailed description explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses the disclosed embodiments and all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims.
While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. For example, if only one aspect of the invention is recited below as embodied in a computer-readable medium, the inventors contemplate that other aspects may likewise be embodied in a computer-readable medium. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention. The invention is not limited, except as by the following claims.
Claims
1. A method for providing a prepaid card to a user, the method comprising:
- providing a coin-counting machine having a coin-input region, a coin discriminator, and a card dispenser, the card dispenser having a first card hopper holding a first plurality of prepaid cards of a first type, a second card hopper holding a second plurality of prepaid cards of a second type, and at least a third card hopper holding a third plurality of prepaid cards of a third type, the card dispenser further having a card outlet slot unaligned with the first, second, and third card hoppers;
- receiving a plurality of coins from a user in the coin-input region of the coin-counting machine;
- discriminating at least a portion of the received coins with the coin discriminator to determine a value of the received coins;
- moving a card carriage to a first position proximate the first card hopper;
- receiving at least one prepaid card from the first card hopper with the card carriage;
- reading information from a portion of the at least one prepaid card;
- providing at least a portion of the information read from the prepaid card to a remote computer;
- moving the card carriage to a second position offset from the first, second, and third card hoppers and aligned with the card outlet slot; and
- issuing the prepaid card to the user from the card outlet slot, the prepaid card having a card value related to the value of the received coins.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a coin-counting machine further includes providing a communication facility, the communication facility configured to exchange information with one or more remote computers, wherein providing at least a portion of the information read from the prepaid card to the remote computer includes providing first information to the remote computer, and wherein the method further comprises:
- in response to providing the first information to the remote computer, receiving second information from the remote computer via the communication facility, the second information relating to the at least one prepaid card issued to the user.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a coin-counting machine further includes providing a communication facility, the communication facility configured to exchange information with one or more remote computers, wherein providing at least a portion of the information read from the prepaid card to the remote computer includes providing first information to the remote computer, and wherein the method further comprises:
- in response to providing the first information to the remote computer, receiving second information from the remote computer via the communication facility, the second information relating to the at least one prepaid card issued to the user, wherein the at least one prepaid card is issued to the user at least partially in response to the second information.
4. The method of claim 1
- wherein reading information from a portion of the at least one prepaid card includes reading first information, and wherein the method further comprises, in response to providing the remote computer with the first information, receiving second information from the remote computer relating to the at least one prepaid card issued to the user.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a coin-counting machine further includes providing a card writer configured to write information to cards issued from the card dispenser, and wherein the method further includes writing selected information to the at least one card issued to the user with the card writer, the selected information being at least partially related to the value of coins received from the user.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at least one prepaid card includes removing the at least one prepaid card from the first card hopper with the card carriage.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein reading information from a portion of the at least one prepaid card includes reading the information with a card reader carried on the card carriage.
8. A method for providing a prepaid card to a user, the method comprising:
- providing a coin-counting machine having a coin-input region, a coin discriminator, and a card dispenser, the card dispenser having a card carriage movable between three or more card hoppers, wherein each of the card hoppers contains a different type of prepaid card, and wherein the card dispenser further includes a card outlet slot laterally offset from all of the card hoppers;
- receiving a plurality of coins from a user in the coin-input region of the coin-counting machine;
- discriminating at least a portion of the received coins with the coin discriminator to determine a value of the received coins;
- receiving a prepaid card selection from the user, the prepaid card selection corresponding to at least one prepaid card in at least one card hopper;
- in response to receiving the prepaid card selection, moving the card carriage to a first position proximate the at least one card hopper;
- with the card carriage, removing the at least one prepaid card from the at least one card hopper;
- reading identification information from a portion of the at least one prepaid card while the prepaid card is supported by the card carriage;
- providing at least a portion of the identification information to a remote computer;
- activating the at least one prepaid card with the remote computer by associating the card identification information with a card value in a remote database;
- in response to providing the remote computer with the identification information, receiving verification information from the remote computer;
- in response to receiving the verification information from the remote computer, moving the card carriage to a second position aligned with the card outlet slot; and
- dispensing the prepaid card to the user through the card outlet slot with the card carriage, the prepaid card having a card value related to the value of the received coins.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least first and second transaction options to the user;
- receiving at least a first transaction selection from the user corresponding to one of the displayed transaction options, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user from the card dispenser corresponds to the selected transaction option, and wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user has a card value related to a first portion of the value of the received coins; and
- issuing a redeemable voucher to the user, wherein the redeemable voucher has a voucher value related to a second portion of the value of the received coins.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving a plurality of coins from a user includes nonsequentially receiving a plurality of randomly oriented coins of at least two different denominations from a user.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving a plurality of coins from a user includes nonsequentially receiving a plurality of randomly oriented coins of at least two different denominations from a user in a coin tray, and wherein the method further comprises moving the coin tray to at least partially deliver the plurality of coins to the coin discriminator.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein providing a coin counting machine includes providing an enclosure housing the coin discriminator and the card dispenser.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least first and second transaction options to the user; and
- receiving at least a first transaction selection from the user corresponding to one of the displayed transaction options, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user from the card dispenser corresponds to the selected transaction option.
14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least first and second transaction options to the user, the first transaction option being to purchase a prepaid credit card and the second transaction option being to purchase a prepaid phone card; and
- receiving at least a first transaction selection from the user corresponding to one of the displayed transaction options, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user from the card dispenser corresponds to the selected transaction option.
15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least first and second transaction options to the user;
- receiving a first transaction selection from the user corresponding to the first transaction option; and
- receiving a second transaction selection from the user corresponding to the second transaction option, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user from the card dispenser includes a first card corresponding to the first transaction selection and a second card corresponding to the second transaction selection.
16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least first and second transaction options to the user, the first transaction option being to purchase a prepaid credit card and the second transaction option being to purchase a prepaid phone card;
- receiving a first transaction selection from the user corresponding to the first transaction option; and
- receiving a second transaction selection from the user corresponding to the second transaction option, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user from the card dispenser includes a prepaid credit card corresponding to the first transaction selection and a prepaid phone card corresponding to the second transaction selection.
17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least one prepaid card option to the user;
- receiving a selection from the user corresponding to the at least one prepaid card option, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user from the card dispenser corresponds to the selected card option, and wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user has a card value related to a first portion of the value of the received coins; and
- issuing a redeemable voucher to the user, wherein the redeemable voucher has a voucher value related to a second portion of the value of the received coins.
18. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
- displaying at least one prepaid card option to the user;
- receiving a selection from the user corresponding to the at least one prepaid card option;
- receiving an input from the user defining a card value for the selected prepaid card option, the card value corresponding to a first portion of the value of the received coins, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user has the defined card value; and
- issuing a redeemable voucher to the user, wherein the redeemable voucher has a voucher value related to a second portion of the value of the received coins.
19. The method of claim 8 wherein providing a coin-counting machine includes providing a card reader configured to read information from cards, wherein the at least one prepaid card dispensed to the user is a first card, and wherein the method further comprises reading information from a second card submitted by the user, the information being related to an account of the user, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user has a card value related to the value of the received coins and the value of funds received from the account of the user.
20. The method of claim 8 wherein providing a coin-counting machine further includes providing a card reader configured to read information from cards, wherein the at least one prepaid card dispensed to the user is a first card, and wherein the method further comprises:
- reading information from a second card submitted by the user with the card reader, the information being related to an account of the user; and
- receiving an input from the user defining a value to be debited or charged to the account, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user has a card value related to the value of the received coins and the value to be debited or charged to the account of the user.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein providing a coin-counting machine further includes providing a communication facility, the communication facility being operatively connected to at least the card reader and configured to exchange information with one or more remote computers, and wherein the method further comprises:
- transmitting at least a portion of the information read from the second card by the card reader to a remote computer via the communication facility, the remote computer being associated with the account of the user; and
- receiving confirmation from the remote computer related to the value to be debited or charged to the account of the user, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user is issued at least partially in response to receiving the confirmation from the remote computer.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein receiving an input from the user defining a value includes receiving a first input from the user, and wherein the method further comprises receiving a second input from the user, the second input being related to at least one of identification of the account and access to the account of the user.
23. The method of claim 20 wherein receiving an input from the user defining a value is receiving a first input from the user, and wherein the method further comprises receiving a second input from the user, the second input being related to at least one of a password and an account number.
24. The method of claim 20 wherein reading information from a second card submitted by the user includes reading information from at least one of a wallet-sized credit card, debit card, phone card, and smart card.
25. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a coin-counting machine includes providing a card reader configured to read information from cards, wherein the at least one prepaid card dispensed to the user is a first card, and wherein the method further comprises:
- reading information from a second card submitted by the user, the information being associated with funds available to the user from an account; and
- receiving an input from the user defining a portion of the funds available to the user to be debited or charged to the account, wherein the at least one prepaid card issued to the user has a card value corresponding to the value of the received coins and the value to be debited or charged to the account of the user.
26. The method of claim 8 wherein providing a coin-counting machine further includes providing a communication facility, the communication facility configured to exchange information with one or more remote computers, and wherein the method further comprises providing transaction information to the remote computer via the communication facility, wherein the transaction information relates to the at least one prepaid card issued to the user.
27. An apparatus for providing prepaid cards to users, the apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a user interface positioned at least proximate to the enclosure and accessible to a user positioned outside the enclosure, the user interface configured to receive instructions from the user related to a prepaid card;
- a coin-input region positioned to receive a plurality of coins from the user for transfer into the enclosure;
- a coin discriminator positioned within the enclosure to receive the plurality of coins from the coin-input region, the coin discriminator configured to discriminate at least a portion of the received coins to determine a value of the received coins;
- a first card hopper positioned within the enclosure;
- a second card hopper positioned within the enclosure;
- a third card hopper positioned within the enclosure;
- a card carriage selectively movable between the first, second and third card hoppers and configured to selectively receive a prepaid card therefrom in response to receiving a card selection via the user interface;
- a card reader positioned within the enclosure and configured to read identification information from the prepaid card;
- a communications facility positioned at least partially within the enclosure, the communications facility operatively connectable to at least one remote computer associated with a prepaid card account, wherein the communications facility transmits the card identification information to the remote computer, wherein the remote computer associates the identification information with a card value in a remote database, the card value being related to the value of the received coins, and wherein the remote computer transmits confirmation back to the communications facility indicating that the prepaid card is active; and
- a card outlet not aligned with the first, second, or third card hoppers, wherein the card carriage dispenses the prepaid card to the user via the card outlet at least partially in response to receiving the confirmation from the remote computer.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the dispensed prepaid card has a card value related to a first portion of the value of the received coins, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a voucher printer configured to issue a redeemable voucher to the user, wherein the redeemable voucher has a voucher value related to a second portion of the value of the received coins.
29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the coin input region includes a coin tray configured to nonsequentially receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins of at least two different denominations from a user.
30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the coin input region includes a coin tray configured to nonsequentially receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins of at least two different denominations from a user, and wherein the coin tray is further configured to move at least partially upwardly to deliver the plurality of coins to the coin discriminator.
31. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the card carriage is configured to selectively remove the prepaid card from the first, second or third card hopper in response to receiving a card selection via the user interface.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 14, 2003
Date of Patent: Oct 11, 2011
Patent Publication Number: 20060037835
Assignee: Coinstar, Inc. (Bellevue, WA)
Inventors: Michael Doran (Bothell, WA), Douglas A. Martin (Woodinville, WA), Scott A. Dean (Issaquah, WA), Jessaca Jacobson (Newcastle, WA), Kim P. Hanson (Woodinville, WA), Kerry Smith (Bellevue, WA)
Primary Examiner: Jeffrey Shapiro
Attorney: Perkins Coie LLP
Application Number: 10/504,438
International Classification: G07F 9/08 (20060101); G06F 7/00 (20060101); G06F 9/00 (20060101); G06F 19/00 (20110101);
